Maskless swimmer’s breather
An unvaccinated swimmer for Team USA made waves out of the Tokyo Olympics’ pool Friday for not wearing a mask during interviews following a disappointing finish.
The decision by Michael Andrew, 22, drew an initial rebuke from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which said it violated COVID-19 mitigation measures.
But USOPC officials reversed course just hours later after determining he wasn’t bucking the public safety protocols after all.
“For me, it’s pretty hard to breathe in after kind of sacrificing my body in the water, so I feel like my health is a little more tied to being able to breathe than protecting what’s coming out of my mouth,” Andrew told USA Today when asked about his choice.
He previously contracted a mild case of COVID-19 in December, The Wall Street Journal reported.